System and method for obtaining metadata about content stored in a repository

ABSTRACT

At least one of the embodiments described herein relate generally to a method of obtaining metadata for content stored in a first repository. The method may be performed at a second repository, and may include the acts of identifying a content object stored in the first repository, the content object comprising learning content usable in an electronic educational system to provide electronic learning; identifying metadata for the content object stored in the first repository, the metadata associated with the learning content of the content object; retrieving the metadata associated with the learning content from the first repository; and storing a harvested content object corresponding to the content object, wherein the harvested content object includes the metadata associated with the learning content of the content object stored in the first repository.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to systems and methods ofobtaining metadata about content stored in a repository.

INTRODUCTION

A repository (also called a digital library or a digital archive) canstore content containing media (e.g., articles, videos, etc.) that isretrievable by external sources. As the various content items stored ina repository may be individually retrievable, the term “content object”will be used herein to generally refer to a single data item that may beretrieved from a repository. To facilitate the organization andretrieval of the content objects, the repository may also store metadatadescribing the content objects.

The metadata available on a repository may be indexed and collected byan external repository. In this manner, the metadata collected by theexternal repository may be considered to be “harvested”, so as to allowthe external repository to store a metadata content object (also calleda “harvested” content object) that corresponds to the content objectstored in the first repository. When the external repository itself issubsequently searched (e.g., by a user computing device attempting tolocate available content objects), the external repository may be ableto provide search results that include both harvested content objectsand content objects that are stored locally on the external repository.

Electronic educational systems may provide repositories that allow usersto select content objects that are available for inclusion into onlinelearning experiences. Typically, such content objects may containspecialized learning content (e.g., information indicating that thecontent object is a quiz or an assessment) that may not be adequatelydescribed as an attribute of the content object.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, in at least one example embodiment described herein,there is provided a method of obtaining metadata for content stored in afirst repository. The method may be performed at a second repository,and may include the acts of: identifying a content object stored in thefirst repository, the content object comprising learning content usablein an electronic educational system to provide electronic learning;identifying metadata for the content object stored in the firstrepository, the metadata associated with the learning content of thecontent object; retrieving the metadata associated with the learningcontent from the first repository; and storing a harvested contentobject corresponding to the content object, wherein the harvestedcontent object includes the metadata associated with the learningcontent of the content object stored in the first repository.

In at least one embodiment, the method further includes: generatinginformation from the metadata describing the learning content of thecontent object; and if the harvested content object is located in asearch for content objects performed at the second repository, providingthe generated information along with the harvested content object in thesearch results so that when the search results are displayed, thegenerated information for the harvested content object is displayed in asubstantially similar manner as when corresponding information isdisplayed for local content objects stored at the second repository.

In at least one embodiment, the retrieving of the metadata may beperformed using a modified version of the Open Archives InitiativeProtocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) protocol, in which themodified version includes an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schemathat extends metadata items provided in the OAI-PMH protocol to includethe metadata associated with the learning content.

In at least one embodiment, the learning content may include a LearningManagement System (LMS) type of the content object.

In at least one embodiment, the method may further includes: recognizingthe LMS type of the harvested content object as being the LMS type ofthe content object; determining an action that can be performed for theharvested content object based on the LMS type; and performing theaction for the harvested content object. For example, the LMS type mayinclude an assessment, and the action may include integrating theharvested content object into a LMS gradebook. In various embodiments,the action is the same as that which would be performed for a localcontent object that is also of the LMS type, stored at the secondrepository.

In at least one embodiment, the learning content may include usageinformation for the content object.

In at least one embodiment, the learning content may includerelationship information for the content object with respect to one ormore other content objects. For example, the relationship informationfor the content object may include structure information that indicatesthat the content object contains, or the content object is containedwithin, the one or more other content objects. For example, therelationship information for the content object may include sequenceinformation that indicates that the content object is recommended to beused before or after the one or more other content objects. For example,the relationship information for the content object may includeinformation indicating that the content object and the one or more othercontent objects are members of a same collection of content objects.

In at least one embodiment, the learning content may include at leastone of: information indicating an instructor using the content object;information about a student who is able to access the content object;information indicating a course using the content object; andinformation indicating an institution using the content object.

In another aspect, in at least one example embodiment described herein,there is provided a computer-readable medium that stores instructionsfor obtaining metadata for content stored in a first repository. Whenthe instructions are executed by a processor of a server hosting asecond repository, the processor is configured to: identify a contentobject stored in the first repository, the content object comprisinglearning content usable in an electronic educational system to provideelectronic learning; identify metadata for the content object stored inthe first repository, the metadata associated with the learning contentof the content object; retrieve the metadata associated with thelearning content from the first repository; and store a harvestedcontent object corresponding to the content object, wherein theharvested content object includes the metadata associated with thelearning content of the content object stored in the first repository.

In another aspect, in at least one example embodiment described herein,there is provided a server comprising a memory that is configured tostore instructions for hosting a second repository that obtains metadatafor content stored in a first repository, and a processor that iscoupled to the memory. When the instructions are executed by theprocessor, the processor is configured to: identify a content objectstored in the first repository, the content object comprising learningcontent usable in an electronic educational system to provide electroniclearning; identify metadata for the content object stored in the firstrepository, the metadata associated with the learning content of thecontent object; retrieve the metadata associated with the learningcontent from the first repository; and store a harvested content objectcorresponding to the content object, wherein the harvested contentobject includes the metadata associated with the learning content of thecontent object stored in the first repository.

In at least one embodiment, the processor may be further configured to:generate information from the metadata associated with the learningcontent of the content object; and if the harvested content object islocated in a search for content objects performed at the secondrepository, provide the generated information along with the harvestedcontent object in the search results so that when the search results aredisplayed, the generated information for the harvested content object isdisplayed in a substantially similar manner as when correspondinginformation is displayed for local content objects stored at the secondrepository.

In at least one embodiment, the retrieving of the metadata may beperformed using a modified version of the Open Archives InitiativeProtocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) protocol, the modifiedversion including an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema thatextends metadata items provided in the OAI-PMH protocol to include themetadata associated with the learning content.

In at least one embodiment, the learning content may include a LearningManagement System (LMS) type of the content object.

In at least one embodiment, the processor may be further configured to:recognize the LMS type of the harvested content object as being the LMStype of the content object; determine an action that can be performedfor the harvested content object based on the LMS type; and perform theaction for the harvested content object. For example, the LMS type mayinclude an assessment, and the action may include integrating theharvested content object into a LMS gradebook. In various embodiments,the action may be the same as that which would be performed for a localcontent object that is also of the LMS type, stored at the secondrepository.

In at least one embodiment, the learning content may include usageinformation for the content object.

In at least one embodiment, the learning content may includerelationship information for the content object with respect to one ormore other content objects. For example, the relationship informationfor the content object may include structure information that indicatesthat the content object contains, or the content object is containedwithin, the one or more other content objects. For example, therelationship information for the content object may include sequenceinformation that indicates that the content object is recommended to beused before or after the one or more other content objects. For example,the relationship information for the content object may includeinformation indicating that the content object and the one or more othercontent objects are members of a same collection of content objects.

In various embodiments, the learning content may include at least oneof: information indicating an instructor using the content object;information about a student who is able to access the content object;information indicating a course using the content object; andinformation indicating an institution using the content object.

In one aspect, in at least one example embodiment described herein,there is provided a method of providing metadata for content stored at afirst repository. The method may include: providing a content object atthe first repository, the content object comprising learning contentusable in an electronic educational system to provide electroniclearning; providing metadata at the first repository, the metadataassociated with the learning content of the content object; andtransmitting the metadata associated with the learning content to asecond repository, wherein the second repository stores a harvestedcontent object corresponding to the content object, and wherein theharvested content object includes the metadata associated with thelearning content of the content object.

In various embodiments, the second repository generates information fromthe metadata associated with the learning content of the content object,and if the harvested content object is located in a search for contentobjects performed at the second repository, the second repositoryprovides the generated information along with the harvested contentobject in the search results so that when the search results aredisplayed, the generated information for the harvested content object isdisplayed in a substantially similar manner as when correspondinginformation is displayed for local content objects stored at the secondrepository.

DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the various embodiments described herein,and to show more clearly how these various embodiments may be carriedinto effect, reference will be made, by way of example, to theaccompanying drawings which show at least one example embodiment, andwhich are now described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an educational system forproviding electronic learning in accordance with at least one exampleembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of a repository, inaccordance with at least one example embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart diagram illustrating interactions between a firstrepository, a second repository, and an instructor device when theinstructor device searches for available content objects on the secondrepository, in accordance with at least one example embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a screenshot of an example user interface showing searchresults that may be retrieved from the second repository, in accordancewith at least one example embodiment;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are flow chart diagrams illustrating exampleinteractions between a first repository, a second repository, and athird repository, when the second and third repositories provide usagedata to the first repository, in accordance with at least one exampleembodiment;

FIG. 6 is an example of metadata for a content object in the form of anExtensible Markup Language (XML) file, in accordance with at least oneexample embodiment; and

FIGS. 7A and 7B show an example of a schema file that indicates how thedata in the XML file of FIG. 6 may be structured, in accordance with atleast one example embodiment.

Further aspects and advantages of the embodiments described herein willappear from the following description taken together with theaccompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various apparatuses or processes will be described below to provide anexample of an embodiment of each claimed subject matter. No embodimentdescribed below limits any claimed subject matter and any claimedsubject matter may cover processes or apparatuses that differ from thosedescribed below. The claimed subject matter are not limited toapparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatusor process described below or to features common to multiple or all ofthe apparatuses or processes described below. It is possible that anapparatus or process described below is not an embodiment of any claimedsubject matter. Any subject matter disclosed in an apparatus or processdescribed below that is not claimed in this document may be the subjectmatter of another protective instrument, for example, a continuingpatent application, and the applicants, inventors or owners do notintend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such subjectmatter by its disclosure in this document.

Furthermore, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity ofillustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may berepeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogouselements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in orderto provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein.However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the artthat the embodiments described herein may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures andcomponents have not been described in detail so as not to obscure theembodiments described herein. Also, the description is not to beconsidered as limiting the scope of the example embodiments describedherein in any way, but rather as merely describing the implementation ofvarious embodiments as described.

In some cases, the example embodiments of the systems and methodsdescribed herein may be implemented in hardware or software, or acombination of both. In some cases, the example embodiments describedherein may be implemented in one or more computer programs, executing onone or more programmable computing devices comprising at least oneprocessor, a data storage system (including volatile and non-volatilememory and/or storage elements), at least one input device (e.g. akeyboard, mouse or touchscreen), and at least one output device (e.g. adisplay screen, a printer, a wireless radio and the like).

For example, and without limitation, the programmable computers mayinclude servers, personal computers, laptops, tablets, personal dataassistants (PDA), cell phones, smart phones, gaming devices, and othermobile devices. Program code can be applied to input data to perform thefunctions described herein and to generate output information. Theoutput information can then be supplied to one or more output devicesfor outputting to one or more users.

In some example embodiments described herein, each program may beimplemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programmingand/or scripting language or both. Accordingly, the program code may bewritten in C, C++, Java, SQL or any other suitable programming languageand may include modules or classes, as is known to those skilled inobject oriented programming. However, other programs may be implementedin assembly, machine language or firmware as needed. In either case, thelanguage may be a compiled or interpreted language.

The computer programs may be stored on a storage media (e.g. a computerreadable medium such as, but not limited to, ROM, magnetic disk, opticaldisc) or a device that is readable by a general or special purposecomputing device. The program code, when read by the computing device,configures the computing device to operate in a new, specific andpredefined manner in order to perform at least one of the methodsdescribed herein.

Furthermore, some of the programs associated with the systems andmethods of the embodiments described herein are capable of beingdistributed in a computer program product comprising a computer readablemedium that bears computer usable instructions for one or moreprocessors. The medium may be provided in various forms, includingnon-transitory forms such as, but not limited to, one or more diskettes,compact disks, tapes, chips, and magnetic and electronic storage. Inalternative embodiments, the medium may be transitory in nature such as,but not limited to, wire-line transmissions, satellite transmissions,internet transmissions (e.g. downloads), media, digital and analogsignals, and the like. The computer useable instructions may also be invarious formats, including compiled and non-compiled code.

It should also be noted that the terms “coupled” or “coupling” as usedherein can indicate that two elements or devices can be directlyconnected to one another or connected to one another through one or moreintermediate elements or devices via an electrical element or electricalsignal depending on the particular context.

The embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methodsfor obtaining metadata for the learning content provided in contentobjects stored in a repository. In various embodiments, the contentobjects having such learning content may be called a “learning object”.Such learning objects may be used in an electronic educational systemto, for example, better allow users to select content for inclusion inan online course. In various embodiments, a repository available to beaccessed in an electronic educational system may also be called a“Learning Object Repository” (LOR).

An overview of an example electronic educational system will now bediscussed.

Referring now to FIG. 1, shown therein is an example embodiment of aneducational system 10 for providing electronic learning. One or moreusers 12 and 14 can use the educational system 10 to communicate with aneducational service provider 30 to participate in, create, and consumeelectronic learning services, including various educational courses. Insome cases, the educational service provider 30 may be part of orassociated with a traditional “bricks and mortar” educationalinstitution (e.g. an elementary school, a high school, a university or acollege), another entity that provides educational services (e.g. anonline university, a company that specializes in offering trainingcourses, or an organization that has a training department), or may bean independent service provider (e.g. for providing individualelectronic learning). Therefore, it should be understood that a courseis not limited to formal courses offered by formal educationalinstitutions. The course may include any form of learning instructionoffered by an entity of any type. For example, the course may be atraining seminar at a company for a small group of employees or aprofessional certification program with a larger number of intendedparticipants (e.g. PMP, CMA, etc.).

In some embodiments, one or more educational groups can be defined thatinvolve one or more of the users 12 and 14. For example, as shown inFIG. 1, the users 12 and 14 may be grouped together in an educationalgroup 16 representative of a particular course (e.g. History 101, French254), in which the user 12 is an “instructor” and is responsible forproviding the course (e.g. organizing lectures, preparing assignments,creating educational content, etc.), while the other users 14 are“learners” that consume the course content, e.g. the users 14 areenrolled in the course to learn the course content. As used herein, theterm “instructor device” may generally refer to a computing device thatan “instructor” is using when he or she is accessing the educationalsystem 10.

In some cases, the users 12 and 14 may be associated with more than oneeducational group. For instance, the users 14 may be enrolled in morethan one course and the user 12 may be enrolled in at least one courseand may be responsible for teaching at least one other course or theuser 12 may be responsible for teaching more than one course.

In some cases, educational sub-groups may also be formed. For example,two of the users 14 are shown as part of an educational sub-group 18.The sub-group 18 may be formed in relation to a particular project orassignment (e.g. sub-group 18 may be a lab group) or based on othercriteria. In some cases, due to the nature of the electronic learning,the users 14 in a particular sub-group 18 need not physically meet, butmay collaborate together using various tools provided by the educationalservice provider 30.

In some cases, the groups 16 and sub-groups 18 could include users 12and 14 that share common interests (e.g. interests in a particularsport), that participate in common activities (e.g. users that aremembers of a choir or a club), and/or have similar attributes (e.g.users that are male, users under twenty-one years of age, etc.).

Communication between the users 12 and 14 and the educational serviceprovider 30 can occur either directly or indirectly using any suitablecomputing device. For example, the user 12 may use a computing device 20such as a desktop computer that has at least one input device (e.g. akeyboard and a mouse) and at least one output device (e.g. a displayscreen and speakers).

The computing device 20 can generally be any suitable device forfacilitating communication between the users 12 and 14 and theeducational service provider 30. For example, the computing device 20could be a laptop 20 a wirelessly coupled to an access point 22 (e.g. awireless router, a cellular communications tower, etc.), a wirelesslyenabled personal data assistant (PDA) 20 b or smart phone, a terminal 20c over a wired connection 23 or a tablet computer 20 d or a game console20 e over a wireless connection.

The computing devices 20 may be connected to the service provider 30 viaany suitable communications channel. For example, the computing devices20 may communicate to the educational service provider 30 over a localarea network (LAN) or intranet, or using an external network, such as,for example, by using a browser on the computing device 20 to browse oneor more web pages presented over the Internet 28 over a data connection27.

The wireless access points 22 may connect to the educational serviceprovider 30 through a data connection 25 established over the LAN orintranet. Alternatively, the wireless access points 22 may be incommunication with the educational service provider 30 via the Internet28 or another external data communications network. For example, oneuser 14 may use a laptop 20 a to browse to a webpage that displayselements of an electronic learning system (e.g. a course page).

In some cases, one or more of the users 12 and 14 may be required toauthenticate their identities in order to communicate with theeducational service provider 30. For example, the users 12 and 14 may berequired to input a login name and/or a password or otherwise identifythemselves to gain access to the educational system 10.

In other cases, one or more users (e.g. “guest” users) may be able toaccess the educational system 10 without authentication. Such guestusers may be provided with limited access, such as the ability to reviewonly one or a few components of the course, for example, to decidewhether they would like to participate in the course.

The educational service provider 30 generally includes a number offunctional components for facilitating the provision of socialelectronic learning services. For example, the educational serviceprovider 30 generally includes one or more processing devices 32 (e.g.servers), each having one or more processors. The processing devices 32are configured to send information (e.g. HTML or other data) to bedisplayed on one or more computing devices 20, 20 a, 20 b and/or 20 c inassociation with social electronic learning (e.g. course information).In some cases, the processing device 32 may be a computing device 20(e.g. a laptop or a personal computer).

The educational service provider 30 also generally includes one or moredata storage devices 34 (e.g. memory, etc.) that are in communicationwith the processing devices 32, and could include a relational database(such as an SQL database), or other suitable data storage devices. Thedata storage devices 34 are configured to host data 35 about the coursesoffered by the service provider. For example, the data 35 can includecourse frameworks, educational materials to be consumed by the users 14,records of assessments of users 14, assignments done by the users 14, aswell as various other databases and the like.

The data storage devices 34 may also store authorization criteria thatdefine which actions may be taken by the users 12 and 14. In some cases,the authorization criteria may include at least one security profileassociated with at least one role. For example, one role (e.g., an“instructor” role) could be defined for users who are primarilyresponsible for developing an educational course, teaching it, andassessing work product from students of the course. Users with such arole may have a security profile that allows them to configure variouscomponents of the course to add content objects to lessons or topics, topost assignments, to add assessments, to evaluate performance, and soon.

In some cases, some of the authorization criteria may be defined byspecific users 40 who may or may not be part of the educationalcommunity 16. For example, users 40 may be permitted to administerand/or define global configuration profiles for the educational system10, define roles within the educational system 10, set security profilesassociated with the roles, and assign roles to particular users 12 and14 who use the educational system 10. In some cases, the users 40 mayuse another computing device (e.g. a desktop computer 42) to accomplishthese tasks.

The data storage devices 34 may also be configured to store otherinformation, such as personal information about the users 12 and 14 ofthe educational system 10, information about which courses the users 14are enrolled in, roles to which the users 12 and 14 are assigned,particular interests of the users 12 and 14 and the like.

The processing devices 32 and data storage devices 34 may also provideother electronic learning management tools (e.g. allowing users to addand drop courses, communicate with other users using chat software,etc.), and/or may be in communication with one or more other vendorsthat provide the tools.

In various embodiments, an education service provider 30 may alsoinclude a repository 70. The repository 70 may be a database that isaccessed by an application that is executing on an existing processingdevice 32 at the educational service provider 30. Additionally oralternatively, a separate computing device may host the repository 70.As illustrated in FIG. 1, the educational service provider 30 includes aseparate repository 70 b.

The repository 70 b may store content objects that are local to theeducational service provider 30. However, as will be discussed below,the repository 70 b may also index and retrieve (e.g., “harvest”)metadata about content objects that are stored on a repository 70 thatis remote from the repository 70 b. For example, the repository 70 b mayindex and retrieve metadata from a remote repository 70 a that isprovided on a server that is remote from the educational serviceprovider 30.

In some cases, the educational system 10 may also have one or morebackup servers 31 that may duplicate some or all of the data 35 storedon the data storage devices 34. The backup servers 31 may be desirablefor disaster recovery to prevent undesired data loss in the event of anelectrical outage, fire, flood or theft, for example.

In some cases, the backup servers 31 may be directly connected to theeducational service provider 30 but located within the educationalsystem 10 at a different physical location. For example, the backupservers 31 could be located at a remote storage location that is somedistance away from the service provider 30, and the service provider 30could connect to the backup server 31 using a secure communicationsprotocol to ensure that the confidentiality of the data 35 ismaintained.

Referring now to FIG. 2, shown there generally as 70 is a block diagramillustrating components of a repository, in accordance with at least oneexample embodiment described herein. As discussed above, the repository70 may be provided in the context of an educational service provider 30(e.g., accessible by an application executing on a processing device 32or another physical server) or it may be remote from a given educationalservice provider 30. For ease of explanation, FIG. 2 illustrates asimplified version of the repository 70 with a limited number ofcomponents. However, it will be understood that in alternativeembodiments the repository 70 may also include other modules orcomponents that perform additional background functions not discussedherein. As illustrated, the repository 70 may include a search interface210, an indexing module 220, a local content objects database 230, and aharvested content objects database 240.

The search interface 210 may be an Application Programming Interface(API) that is accessible by an external computing device 20 in theeducational system 10 to locate available content objects at therepository 70. For example, the search interface 210 may be accessed byan instructor who is organizing an online course in the educationalsystem 10, and who desires to select content objects for inclusion intoa given topic in an online course. To initiate the search, an instructormay enter search terms into a computing device 20, and the computingdevice 20 may communicate with the search interface 210 of therepository 70 to search the local content objects database 230 and/orthe harvested content objects database 240 for content objects havingcertain types of content. In various embodiments, the search interface210 may be provided as a computing resource available over HypertextTransfer Protocol (HTTP), for example.

The indexing module 220 may be configured to index and retrieve (e.g.,“harvest”) metadata about content objects that are stored on a remoterepository 70 a. Once this metadata is retrieved, the repository 70 maybe able to store the retrieved metadata as a harvested content objectthat describes the content object on the remote repository 70 a. As usedherein, the term “harvested content object” refers generally to theretrieved metadata, as stored by a given repository, that references anactual content object that is stored on a remote repository.

Conventionally, to index the content objects stored in a remoterepository, a given repository may use the Open Archives InitiativeProtocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) protocol to retrieve metadataabout the object. However, the data retrieved using the OAI-PMH protocolmay not fully describe the learning content stored on the remoterepository 70 a because the OAI-PMH protocol is intended for general useand is not configured to describe the specific features of a contentobject that allows it to be used in the educational system 10 forelectronic learning purposes. Examples of types of such “learningcontent” data that would not be described using the OAI-PMH include:links to different retrieval options for a given content object;information indicating that a given content object is of a particularLearning Management System (LMS) type (e.g., a quiz, topic, assessment,course); information describing the relationship between a given contentobject and another content object; information about other contentobjects associated with or related to the given content object; and/orusage data for a given content object.

In various embodiments, the relationship information for a given contentobject may include: structure information such as whether one contentobject is contained within another content object (e.g., a given childtopic being contained within an associated parent topic), sequenceinformation relating to whether one content object is recommended to beused before or after another content object (e.g., a given lesson thatshould be accessed prior to another lesson), and/or whether one contentobject is associated with another object by virtue of both objects beingmembers of the same collection (e.g., a given lesson being groupedtogether with another lesson in a given collection).

Also, in various embodiments, the usage data for a given content objectmay include ‘Reviews’ for the content object that may have been providedby previous users of the content object, ‘Feedback’ for the contentobject containing suggestions for improvement of the content objectprovided by previous users; a ‘Ratings’ value for the content object;and/or a ‘Times Accessed’ value for the content object. Additionally oralternatively, the usage data may also include information about theusers using the content object such as: information indicating theinstructor(s) using the content object, information about otherstudent(s) who are able to access the content object, information about(or links to) particular course(s) using the content object, orinformation indicating the institution(s) using the content object. Aswill be understood, the term usage data and usage information may beused interchangeably herein. In certain situations where the usagedata/information includes numerical data, the usage data/information mayalso be referred to as usage statistics.

In the example embodiments described herein, the indexing module 220 isconfigured to retrieve extended metadata describing learning content ofa content object. In accordance with the teachings herein, the extendedmetadata may be beyond that which is provided for in the OAI-PMHprotocol. As discussed below, this may allow the extended metadata to bestored in a harvested content object. An example of the extendedmetadata that may be retrieved and stored is discussed in greater detailbelow with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7.

The repository 70 may also include a local content objects database 230and a harvested content objects database 240. The local content objectsdatabase 230 may store content objects that are local to the repository70. When storing local content objects, the local content objectsdatabase 230 may store the content (e.g., media such as articles,videos, etc.) encapsulated in the local content objects, as well asmetadata that describes such content.

The harvested content objects database 240 typically stores theharvested content objects that have been retrieved from a remoterepository 70 a. The harvested content objects database 240 may storethe metadata describing the content, but typically does not store theactual content of the content object. This is because such content wouldremain on the remote repository 70 a when the metadata for the harvestedcontent object is retrieved.

The search interface 210 may allow a search to be performed of both thelocal content objects stored in the local content objects database 230,as well as the harvested content objects stored in the harvested contentobjects database 240. While illustrated as two separate databases, itwill be understood that in various embodiments, the local contentobjects 230 and the harvested content objects 240 may be stored togetherin a single database, or via some other storage mechanism altogether(e.g., as files on a file system). In various embodiments, repositories70 that store harvested content objects may be referred to as a“metadata repository” and/or a “harvested repository”.

Storing Harvested Content Objects that Contain Metadata Associated withLearning Content

Referring now to FIG. 3, shown there generally as 300 is a flow chartdiagram illustrating example interactions between a first repository 70a, a second repository 70 b, and an instructor device when theinstructor device searches for available content objects on the secondrepository 70 b, in accordance with at least one example embodimentdescribed herein. As illustrated, the first repository 70 a may beconsidered a “source” repository that provides the content objects thatare being indexed and retrieved by the second repository 70 b, which canbe considered the “recipient” repository that receives the harvestedcontent objects.

At 305, the first repository 70 a may provide a content objectcomprising learning content usable in an electronic educational system10. As noted above, the learning content may be data that isspecifically usable in an educational system for inclusion in anelectronic learning experience, and is generally not describable usingexisting data elements provided in the OAI-PMH protocol. To provide thecontent object, an owner of the first repository 70 a may create contentthat can be consumed in the educational system. After having createdsuch content, the content may be stored as a content object in the localcontents objects database 230 (e.g., as is shown in FIG. 2).

In various embodiments, the content stored in a content object can beeducational information on any subject and may be structured to includecontent in any combination of text, video, audio clips and the like. Forexample, a content object may contain one or more electronic files. Theelectronic files can include, but are not limited to, word processingdocuments, spreadsheets, presentation documents (e.g. Microsoft™PowerPoint™ files), web pages, Portable Document Format (PDF) documents,a search index of an organization's content, database content, pictures,as well as user generated content from various sources such asdiscussion forums, emails, and reports. Additionally, the electronicfiles can be of a file type that is used in electronic learningenvironments. For example, such file types may include quizzes, quizquestions, assessments, components of assessment components, and/orinteractive learning content such as learning games. As will beunderstood, these types of electronic files may be made interoperablewith a learning provider 30 (as shown in FIG. 1) through standardizedprotocols such as the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)and/or a proprietary protocol. In various embodiments, the electroniclearning files may be provided using a multimedia and software platformsuch as Adobe™ Flash™.

At 310, the first repository may provide metadata that is associatedwith the learning content of the content object (e.g., the metadata maycontain data that describes the learning content). As noted above, themetadata may be structured according to a modified version of theOAI-PMH protocol that extends the conventional data elements used withthe OAI-PMH protocol. These additional data elements may includeattributes for identifying and organizing the different types oflearning content that are available in accordance with the teachingsherein.

To provide the metadata, the first repository may first identify theproperties of the content of the content object that is desired to bedescribed by the metadata. For example, these properties may includeuser feedback information or retrieval options for the content object(as is described in greater detail below). The metadata may be formattedaccording to the extended version of the standard OAI-PMH protocol dataelements discussed below with respect FIGS. 6 and 7. In variousembodiments, the metadata may be stored in this format in a localcontent objects database 230 (as is shown in FIG. 2). Alternatively, themetadata may be stored in a local format, and the first repository maybe able to dynamically convert the stored metadata into the metadataformat of FIGS. 6 and 7 in response to harvester requests.

At 315, the second repository 70 b may identify one of the contentobjects that is stored in the first repository 70 a and has learningcontent that is of interest. In various example embodiments, the act ofidentifying may be performed using the harvesting aspects of theexisting OAI-PMH protocol that a given repository may implement todiscover the presence of content objects stored in a remote repository70 a. For example, the identifying of the content objects may beperformed by web robots implemented on the second repository 70 b thatare configured to search for content objects from remote repositories 70a.

Additionally or alternatively, the identifying may not be the result ofany searching performed by the second repository 70 b. For example, thesecond repository 70 b may simply follow a link to a content object thatis stored on the first repository 70 a to identify content objects. Thelink may have been inputted into the second repository 70 b by a user,for example, if a user is attempting to retrieve the extended metadatafor a specific content object stored on the remote repository 70 a thatthe user is already aware of (e.g., if a curator for the secondrepository 70 b decides to feature certain links to content objectsstored on the first repository 70 a that he/she is independently awareof). Additionally or alternatively, the second repository may be a“federated” repository which does not actively search for metadata fromsource repositories 70 a, but instead simply forwards a searcher's queryto a source repository 70 a upon receiving a search request. In suchcases, the second repository 70 b may identify content objects on thefirst repository 70 a when the first repository 70 a returns searchresults in response to a forwarded search request.

At 320, the second repository 70 b may identify metadata that is storedat the first repository 70 a and is associated with (e.g., describes)the learning content of the identified content object. At 325, thesecond repository 70 b may retrieve the identified metadata associatedwith the learning content from the first repository 70 a.

As noted, the metadata describing the learning content may be providedin a format that extends the conventional data elements of the OAI-PMHprotocol in accordance with the teachings herein. While the traditionalOAI-PMH protocol may allow the second repository 70 b to discover thepresence of the content object at the first repository 70 a, it may notsufficiently describe the specific learning content that is provided inthe content object. An extended version of the OAI-PMH protocol, such asthe example that is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, may allow the firstrepository 70 a to capture information about the learning content of acontent object so as to provide such information to the secondrepository 70 b when the second repository 70 b attempts to harvest thecontent object from the first repository 70 a.

At 330, the first repository 70 a may transmit the metadata associatedwith (e.g., describes) the learning content for the identified contentobject to the second repository 70 b.

At 335, the second repository 70 b stores a harvested content objectcorresponding to the identified content object stored on the firstrepository 70 a. Having received the metadata describing the learningcontent from the first repository 70 a, the second repository 70 b maythen store a harvested content object that includes the metadatadescribing the learning content of the content object.

Providing harvested content objects in search results

Referring still to FIG. 3, at some time subsequent to the storing of theharvested content object at the second repository 70 b, the harvestedcontent object may be available to be searched when an instructor device20 in the educational system 10 attempts to locate content objects thatare available on the second repository 70 b.

At 340, an instructor device 20 may request a search to be performed foravailable content objects on the second repository 70 b. For example,the searching may be to locate content objects that are suitable foradding to a topic in an online course that the instructor is organizing.

After the request is transmitted to the second repository 70 b, at 345,the second repository 70 b may perform the search for available contentobjects. As noted above, the request may be received at the secondrepository 70 b via the search interface 210 discussed with respect toFIG. 2. During the search for content objects, both local contentobjects that are stored locally on the second repository 70 b, andharvested content objects (e.g., as may have been retrieved from thefirst repository 70 a) can be located.

For the harvested content objects that are located in the search, at350, the second repository 70 b may generate information associated with(e.g., describing) the learning content of the harvested content objectfrom the metadata. When generating this information, the secondrepository 70 b may process the metadata describing the learning contentof the harvested content object according to a schema that indicates thestructure of the metadata to extract the information from the metadata.Referring briefly to FIG. 6, shown there is example metadata thatcontains a description of learning content of an example harvestedcontent object. The metadata illustrated in FIG. 6 is formattedaccording to the schema shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. To extract andgenerate the information describing the learning content from themetadata shown in FIG. 6, the second repository 70 b may process thedata provided in the XML file of FIG. 6 according to the schema shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B, for example. FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B will be discussed ingreater detail below.

At 355, the second repository 70 b may provide the search results to theinstructor device 20. The search results may include local contentobjects that are stored locally on the second repository 70 b, theharvested content objects, as well as the generated informationdescribing the learning content of the harvested content objects.

At 360, the instructor device 20 receives the search results from thesecond repository 70 b.

At 365, the instructor device 20 may display or otherwise output thesearch results received from the second repository 70 b. Conventionally,if the second repository 70 b had retrieved the harvested contentobjects (hereafter referred to as conventional harvested contentobjects) from the first repository 70 a solely using data descriptorsprovided in the OAI-PMH protocol, the resulting conventional harvestedcontent object stored on the second repository 70 b would lackinformation describing the learning content of the content object. Whensuch a conventional harvested content object is returned in searchresults and displayed, the conventional harvested content object willgenerally be displayed in a simplistic way that does not provide anyinformation about the learning content of the content object whichforces the instructor or user to manually obtain the content object fromthe first repository 70 a and visually inspect the content object inorder to determine the subject matter and/or format of the contentobject.

However, in the method illustrated in FIG. 3, since the secondrepository 70 b received metadata describing the learning content of theharvested content object from the first repository 70 a, the searchresults can contain information describing the learning content (asgenerated from the metadata describing the learning content).Accordingly, the instructor device 20 may then be able to displayinformation describing the learning content in the search results to theuser or instructor which allows the user or instructor to more easilyand efficiently search for and use content objects in a course, or othermaterial, that the user or instructor is creating (which may be onlineor be provided as a hardcopy).

Referring now to FIG. 4, shown there generally as 400 is a screenshot ofan example user interface showing search results that may be retrievedfrom the second repository 70 b, in accordance with at least one exampleembodiment described herein. The screenshot 400 may be displayed at theinstructor device 20, for example. As shown, the screenshot is of a“Lesson Creation Module” that provides an instructor with the ability to“Select content objects to add to a lesson”.

The list of content objects presented to the instructor for selectionmay contain both a local content object 405 that is stored locally onthe second repository 70 b, as well as harvested content objects 410that are stored on repositories 70 that are remote from the secondrepository 70 b. In other examples, there can be more or less local andharvested content objects.

For the local content object 405, the second repository 70 b may be ableto return search results that include information describing thelearning content of the local content object 405 because the secondrepository 70 b has local access to such information. As will beunderstood, a learning provider 30 may store useful information about alocal content object in the repository 70 b. For example, thisinformation may include pedagogical classifications, thumbnail images,file type information, reviews and usage information and the like. Thelocal content object 405 may thus be displayed with such information. Asillustrated, the local content object 405 displays learning contentinformation such as the LMS type of content object it is (e.g., if thecontent object is a ‘quiz’, an ‘assessment’, a ‘topic’ and the like), a‘Suggested order’ (e.g., indicating whether the learning content is tobe played before or after another given object), usage information(e.g., a ‘Rating’, a ‘Times Accessed’ value for the content object orother informative statistics), and retrieval options (e.g., if thecontent object is selected for inclusion into a course, whether thecontent object would be ‘Always linked to the latest version’ or‘locked’ to the particular version that is shown). It should be knownthat in alternative embodiments, more or less metadata may be shown forthe local content object 405 as desired. For example, the file type(e.g., whether the file is a video, a Microsoft™ PowerPoint™ file, or aPDF) may be shown.

For the harvested content objects 410, the amount of information that isdisplayed in the search results may differ depending on whether therepository 70 a from which the content object was retrieved providedmetadata describing the learning content of content object.

For example, the harvested content object 410 a shown in FIG. 4 is for aharvested content object that was retrieved from a repository 70 thatdoes not provide metadata describing the learning content of the contentobjects that it stores. Metadata describing the learning content wouldthus not be retrieved by the second repository 70 b, nor would suchinformation be provided in search results to the instructor device 20.When the harvested content object 410 a is then displayed in searchresults, information about the learning content of the content objectwould not be displayed and only a simplified listing of information(e.g., that includes the ‘Title’ and ‘Source’ of the content object)would be shown. For an instructor to determine more information aboutthe actual learning content of the content object, they may have toclick on a hyperlink 412 to see more details.

If the remote repository 70 provides metadata describing the learningcontent of the content object, then such metadata may be retrieved bythe second repository 70 b when the second repository 70 b is creatingthe harvested content object (e.g., as described above with respect toacts 315-335 in FIG. 3). The information describing the learning contentcould then be provided to the instructor device 20 in search results, sothat a harvested content object can be displayed in a more fulsome way.In FIG. 4, the harvested content object 410 b is an example of howlearning content about a harvested content object 410 b can bedisplayed. As compared with the harvested content object 410 a whichonly shows a simple listing of information such as ‘Title’ and ‘Source’,the harvested content object 410 b displays additional informationrelating to the learning content of the harvested learning object. Forexample, information about the ‘LMS-Type’ of the content object, the‘Suggested order’ that the content object should be used in (e.g., afterthe ‘Weather Explanations Video’), ‘Usage Information’ for the contentobject (e.g., ‘Ratings’ and ‘Times Accessed’ values for the contentobject), and ‘Retrieval Options’ for the content object are shown.Again, in alternative embodiments, other types of metadata may be storedfor a harvested content object.

Therefore, in accordance with at least one of the example embodimentsdescribed herein, a harvested content object in the search results maybe displayed in a manner that is substantially similar to the may inwhich a local content object is displayed. This may increase userconvenience for an instructor because the instructor may not need to bedirected to external sources (e.g., by clicking on hyperlinks) to obtaininformation about the learning content of a harvested content object.The increased user convenience may result in a larger number ofharvested learning objects being included into online courses byinstructors, thereby increasing the sharing of content objects amongstrepositories 70. The present embodiments may also allow instructors toview richer content for the harvested content objects in search results,so as to enable them to create high quality courses more quickly.

Referring back to FIG. 3, in addition to simply providing informationgenerated from the additional metadata of harvested content objects insearch results, in various embodiments, the second repository 70 b maybe able to perform actions on the harvested content object themselvesbased on the additional metadata associated with the learning content(e.g., as retrieved at step 325 in FIG. 3). These actions may be thesame as that which would have been performed for a local content objecthaving the same type of metadata.

For example, it may be the case that the second repository 70 b is ableto automatically recognize the LMS type of a local content object, andusing the LMS type information, automatically perform an action that isappropriate for the local content object of the LMS type. In onescenario, this may involve the second repository 70 b automaticallyintegrating a local content object that is of an ‘assessment’ type intoa LMS gradebook (which may itself be another content object).

As noted, LMS type is an example of the metadata that may be retrievedfor a given harvested content object at step 325 of FIG. 3. Accordingly,the second repository 70 b may be able to perform the same action ofautomatically integrating a content object that is of an ‘assessment’type into a LMS gradebook for the harvested content object also. In oneexample implementation, this may involve the second repository 70 b:recognizing the LMS type of the harvested content object as being theLMS type of the content object (e.g., recognizing that the harvestedcontent object is of an ‘assessment’ type); determining an action thatcan be performed for the harvested content object based on the LMS type(e.g., that the harvested content object can be integrated into a LMSgradebook); and performing the action for the harvested content object(e.g., actually integrating the harvested content object into the LMSgradebook).

Metadata Describing Learning Content Containing Links to an Interface

In various embodiments, the metadata describing the learning contentthat can be transmitted from a first repository 70 a to a secondrepository 70 b may contain attributes that allow the second repository70 b to interact with the first repository 70 a. For example, themetadata describing the learning content for a content object stored atthe first repository 70 a may contain a link to an interface (e.g., anApplication Programming Interface (API)) that is provided by the firstrepository. The interface may, for example, allow for greaterinteraction with the content objects stored in the first repository 70 aby allowing the second repository 70 b to provide information related toa harvested content object to the first repository 70 a. Theseembodiments may, in certain situations, be considered to be ways ofcommunicating between repositories.

For example, the metadata describing the learning content may includedifferent options for retrieving the content object (e.g., a retrievalAPI). In some embodiments, this may be implemented in the form of a link(e.g., Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that can be displayed ashyperlinks) that, when accessed, allows the second repository 70 b toindicate to the first repository 70 a a version of the content objectthe harvested content object is to refer to. In various embodiments, thelink may consistently provide access to the newest version of thecontent object stored in the first repository 70 a. Additionally, oralternatively, the metadata may include a link that is locked to theparticular version of the content object that has been retrieved fromthe first repository 70 a. If links to these URLs are included in themetadata describing the learning content of a content object, thenretrieval options may be presented to an instructor when they areselecting the content object (e.g., for inclusion into an onlinecourse). An example of how retrieval options may be presented in a userinterface is illustrated in the harvested content object 410 b shown inFIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 5A, shown there generally as 500 is a flow chartdiagram illustrating interactions between a first repository, a secondrepository, and a third repository, when the second and thirdrepositories provide usage data to the first repository, in accordancewith at least one example embodiment described herein. FIG. 5A usesterminology similar to that which is used in FIG. 3. A first repository70 a stores the content object which may be harvested by the secondrepository 70 b. The acts shown in FIG. 5A may be performed at any timeafter the content object stored on the first repository 70 a has beenharvested by the second repository 70 b (e.g., after acts 305-335 inFIG. 3).

In FIG. 5A, the metadata describing the learning content of a contentobject may include a link to an API that, when accessed, allows usagedata about the content object to be transmitted back to the firstrepository 70 a.

At 505, the second repository 70 b may transmit usage data about theharvested content object to the first repository 70 a. For example, thesecond repository 70 b may be able to collect usage data about how theharvested content object is being used in the educational system 10 (asshown in FIG. 1). In various embodiments, the type of usage data that iscollectable by the second repository 70 b may be of the same type thatthe first repository 70 a would collect if the content object was beingaccessed locally from the first repository 70 a.

For example, as discussed above, usage data may generally includeinformation such as comments, reviews, feedback, numerical rating(s)and/or other information that indicates a user's impressions of thequality, difficulty, or relevance of the content object. Additionally oralternatively, usage data may also include information about the usersof a content object such as the instructor(s) who are using the contentobject, student(s) who are able to access the content object, listingsor links to particular course(s) that include the content object, and/orthe institution(s) using the content object.

When using a given content object, a computing device 20 may be able tosolicit such user feedback information by displaying a prompt after aharvested content object has been used.

At 510, the usage data about the harvested content object, astransmitted from the second repository 70 b, may be received at thefirst repository 70 a.

Conventionally, the first repository 70 a would not have a way ofdetermining how a content object is used once it has been harvested bythe second repository 70 b. By providing a mechanism that allows the“recipient” second repository 70 b to communicate usage data about theharvested content object back to the “source” first repository 70 a, thefirst repository 70 a may be able to update the usage information thatit stores for the content object. As shown, the method 500 may proceedto 545 (as shown with a dotted line), where the first repository 70 amay take the usage data received from the second repository 70 b oranother repository, and use it to update the usage information it storesfor the corresponding content object.

In various embodiments, a third repository 70 c may be configured toindex and retrieve content objects from the second repository 70 b, andthe third repository 70 c may also be able to communicate usage data tothe first repository 70 a. Steps 515-540 elaborate on these embodimentsin greater detail.

At 515, the third repository 70 c may request to index content objectsavailable from the second repository 70 b. At 520, the second repository70 b may receive the request to index the content objects.

At 525, the second repository 70 b may transmit a harvested contentobject to the third repository 70 c. As will be understood, when a givenrepository 70 is indexed by another repository 70, the repository 70being indexed may allow both local and harvested content objects storedon it to be retrieved by the other repository. For example, in FIG. 5A,if the second repository 70 b is being indexed by the third repository70 c, the third repository 70 c may be able to retrieve content objectsthat are local to the second repository 70 b, as well as harvestedcontent objects that the second repository 70 b has retrieved from thefirst repository 70 a or other repositories.

At 530, the third repository 70 c may receive the harvested contentobject from the second repository 70 b. Notably, the harvested contentobject received by the third repository 70 c may contain the samemetadata describing the learning content of the content object asretrieved by the second repository 70 b. For example, the metadata ofthe harvested content object received by the third repository 70 c mayalso include the link to the usage data API that, when accessed, allowsthe third repository 70 c to communicate usage data about the harvestedcontent object (as generated at the third repository 70 c) to the firstrepository 70 a.

Using this data usage API, at 535, the third repository 70 c may thentransmit usage data about the harvested object to the first repository70 a. The usage data transmitted by the third repository 70 c may besimilar to that which can be transmitted by the second repository 70 bdiscussed above.

At 540, the first repository 70 a receives usage data about theharvested content object from the third repository 70 c. At 545, thefirst repository 70 a may then update the usage information it storesfor the content object corresponding to the harvested content object,with the usage data it received from the third repository 70 c.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, shown there generally as 500′ is another flowchart diagram illustrating interactions between a first repository, asecond repository, and a third repository, when the second and thirdrepositories provide usage data to the first repository, in accordancewith at least one example embodiment described herein. The embodimentillustrated in FIG. 5B is a simplified form of the method shown in FIG.5A in that only the data flow amongst the first, second, and thirdrepositories are shown. As illustrated in FIG. 5B, the first repository70 a is labeled the “source” repository because it stores the originalcontent object. The second repository 70 b and the third repository 70 care labeled “Recipient” repositories because they store harvestedcontent objects corresponding to the content object stored on the firstrepository 70 a. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 5A, contentobject metadata (e.g., describing the learning content of the contentobject stored on the first repository 70 a) may be provided from thefirst repository 70 a to the second repository 70 b, and also from thesecond repository 70 b to the third repository 70 c. The transmission ofthis metadata is shown in FIG. 5B with the dotted arrows from the firstrepository 70 a to the second repository 70 b, and from the secondrepository 70 b to the third repository 70 c.

Since each of the harvested content objects stored on the secondrepository 70 b and the third repository 70 c may store a link to theusage data API provided on the first repository 70 a, the secondrepository 70 b and third repository 70 c may then transmit usage datafor their respective harvested content objects back to the firstrepository 70 a. This is shown in FIG. 5B with the dotted arrows fromthe second repository 70 b to the first repository 70 a, and from thethird repository 70 c to the first repository 70 a.

While not explicitly illustrated, the harvested content object stored onthe third repository 70 c may itself be further harvested by yet anotherrepository 70. As will be understood, such harvesting of harvestedcontent objects may be repeated any number of times with the resultbeing that all such recipient repositories 70 contain a harvestedcontent object that contain a link to the usage data API provided on thesource repository 70 a. In this manner, all recipient repositories 70that store a harvested content object corresponding to the contentobject stored on the first repository 70 a may be able to communicatewith the first repository 70 a to provide usage data about how theharvested content object is being used at that particular recipientrepository 70.

In some embodiments, the usage data stored on each of the firstrepository 70 a, second repository 70 b, and third repository 70 c (andany further recipient repositories 70, as the case may be) can be keptsynchronized. For example, the usage data transmitted from the recipientrepositories (e.g., second repository 70 b and third repository 70 c) tothe first repository 70 a may be of the same type as that which wastransmitted from the first repository 70 a to the recipient repositories70 when the harvested content object was first created. If this sametype of data is transmitted back to the first repository 70 a, the firstrepository 70 a may be able to subsequently send an update to the secondrepository 70 b with updated usage information that takes into accountthe usage data received by the first repository 70 a.

When sending this updated usage data, the transmission may again beformatted according to the metadata structure that was originally usedto transmit the usage data to the second repository 70 b when theharvest content object was created. Similarly, once this data has beenreceived at the second repository 70 b, the second repository 70 b maybe configured to send an update to the third repository 70 c thatretrieved the harvested content object from the second repository 70 b.In this manner, the usage information may be able to be keptsynchronized across all repositories that store the content object(regardless of whether the content object is stored locally as a localcontent object or as a harvested content object). By keeping usageinformation updated at all repositories, if yet an additional repositoryattempts to retrieve a harvested content object from any of therepositories 70 a, 70 b, 70 c, then the most accurate usage data isprovided to that additional repository.

The synchronization of the usage information amongst variousrepositories that access the content object may promote a more holisticand global learning community. For example, such a global learningcommunity may allow users and potential users of the content objects toobtain a more accurate depiction of the quality and/or usefulness of agiven content object because usage data is obtained from a broader rangeof users of the content object. This may be desirable over existingrepository systems in which traditional publishers simply provide theircontent objects in isolation, without as accurate an indication of thequality and/or usefulness of the content object.

In various embodiments, instead of the second repository 70 b forwardingthe updated usage information to the third repository 70 c along thesame communication path in which the content object was harvested, thethird repository 70 c (or any other recipient repository 70 storing aharvested content object) may be able to receive the updated usageinformation directly from the first repository 70 a. For example, thefirst repository 70 a may provide an API that allows a recipientrepository 70 b, 70 c to register itself with the first repository 70 afor receiving direct updates from the first repository 70 a. In suchembodiments, a link to that API may be included in the extended metadatafor a content object provided at the first repository 70 a, so that arecipient repository 70 b, 70 c harvesting the content object wouldreceive the link to the API. The recipient repository 70 b, 70 c maythen access the API via the link to register itself with the sourcerepository 70 a. When registering a recipient repository 70 b, 70 c, thefirst repository 70 a may add the recipient repository 70 b, 70 c to alist of repositories 70 that are to receive updates from the sourcerepository 70 a. Subsequently, when an update becomes available, therepository 70 a may then refer to the list to identify the recipientrepositories 70 b, 70 c to send the update to.

In various embodiments, the updated usage data may be provided to arecipient repository 70 in a number of ways. For example, the recipientrepository 70 may poll the repository 70 from which they retrieved theharvested content object for updates (e.g., repository 70 a orrepository 70 b, as the case may be), and the updated usage data may beprovided in response. In various embodiments, the updated usage data maybe provided alongside other updates that are also to be provided to agiven harvested content object. Additionally, or alternatively,repositories 70 may be configured to track the external repositoriesthat have harvested a content object from it, and push the updated usagedata to those external repositories when the updated usage data becomesavailable.

Referring now to FIG. 6, shown there generally as 600, is an example oflearning content in the form of an XML file that may be provided by afirst repository, in accordance with at least one example embodiment. Asnoted above, the first repository 70 a can be configured to transmit aharvested content object using an XML schema for a modified version ofthe OAI-PMH protocol that extends the traditional metadata itemsprovided by the protocol.

As illustrated, the example XML file shown in FIG. 6 contains a numberof conventional elements that may be used in the OAI-PMH protocol todescribe the subject matter of a content object. As will be understoodby those skilled in the art, a standardized vocabulary called “DublinCore” containing a number of the shown elements has been developed, andthese elements may be used in the OAI-PMH protocol. In the exampleshown, an example image is described using XML data elements, and datafor a number of the Dublin Core elements have been provided.Specifically, data for the creator 604, description 606, format 608(e.g., a file format of a media type such as Joint Photographic ExpertsGroup (JPEG)), rights 612 (e.g., copyright rights that may attach to thecontent object), source 610 (e.g., indicating a URL of where the contentobject is located), subject 614, and title 616 have been provided.

Additionally, FIG. 6 also shows data elements that extend beyond thedata elements traditionally provided by the OAI-PMH protocol. Theseelements describe the learning content of the content object, so thatthe learning content of the content object can be harvested andsubsequently accessed from the second repository 70 b and/or the thirdrepository 70 c, for example so that the information can be displayed insearch results (such as the example shown in FIG. 4). As illustrated,the extended data elements that describe the learning content includedata for a ‘thumbnailUrl’ 618 which provides a URL for the location of athumbnail image representing the content object, an ‘ImsType” 620, arelated object 622 data element which contains data relating to how thecontent object may be related to other content objects (e.g., as shown,there are sub-elements that show the URL for where the parent topic ofthe image in the content object is located), and a ‘usageData’ 624 dataelement which contains data for the usage information of the contentobject (e.g., the ‘Ratings’ sub-element and the ‘TimesAccessed’sub-element), as well as a ‘reviewsUrl’ sub-element that provides a linkto an API that a recipient repository can access to communicate usagedata back to the source repository for the content object.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, shown there generally as 700 is anexample of a schema file that indicates how the data in the XML file ofFIG. 6 may be structured, in accordance with at least one exampleembodiment described herein. As will be understood by those skilled inthe art, a schema file may indicate to a given recipient repository 70the data elements that are available in a given XML file that describesa content object, and how the XML file may be processed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, there is a controlled vocabulary forthe ‘lmsType’ 720 (e.g., the ‘Learning Management System—type’) dataelement which indicates the types of LMS data that can be harvested(e.g., content objects which are a ‘Course’, a ‘Topic’, a ‘Quiz’, a‘Discussion’, etc.). Also, there is a ‘usageData’ 724 descriptor thatindicates what the sub-elements within the ‘usageData’ data element are,and how they can be processed. Similarly, there is an ‘objectRelation’descriptor 722 that indicates how content objects can be related to oneanother.

Referring now to FIG. 7B, shown there is the remaining portion of theschema shown in FIG. 7A. A list of the conventional ‘Dublin Core’ dataelements 750 are indicated as being inherited from the ‘Dublin Core’vocabulary used in conventional metadata harvesting methods. Also, someof the learning content-specific data elements 760 that extend theconventional ‘Dublin Core’ elements are listed at the end of the schemafile.

Notably, in various embodiments, the structure of the metadata for aharvested content object can include additional or fewer elements thanthe ones shown and discussed with respect to FIGS. 6, 7A and 7B. Forexample, the harvested content object can additionally include a sectionfield (not shown) for indicating the sections or chapters found in thecontent object. Similarly, a harvested content object may omit the‘thumbnailUrl’ field if a content object does not contain any images ormultimedia content. It will also be understood that the contents of theschema that indicates the structure of the metadata describing thelearning content may be adapted to suit the particular features of thelearning content of the content objects that is desired to be harvested.

In the above discussion, the information about a content objectcommunicated from a second repository (or a third, fourth, or subsequentrepository, as the case may be) to a first repository were discussed inthe context of a learning environment where repositories were providinglearning objects. It will be appreciated, however, that the metadatathat allows such communication to occur could be included in any type ofcontent objects provided by any type of repository.

For example, there may be repositories of a general nature (e.g., forentertainment or commercial purposes) that are storing content objectsthat can be indexed and harvested by other repositories. The presentembodiments may allow content objects stored in such repositories toinclude metadata that includes a link to an interface provided by thoserepositories. When the metadata is harvested by another repository, thelink may then be accessible by the other repository to communicateinformation about the harvested content object back to the first(source) repository.

It will be understood that the link may provide access to any type ofinterface that is desirable for a content object. For example, dependingon the nature of the content object, it may be desirable for the sourcerepository to obtain information about the number of times the contentobject appears in search results at a given recipient repository.Accordingly, an interface may be provided for receiving such informationat the source repository, and a link to that interface may be includedin the metadata for that content object. A recipient repository may thenbe able to track this information, and the recipient repository mayaccess the interface to provide such information back to the sourcerepository. It will be appreciated that additional types of interfacesmay be possible.

While the above description provides examples of the embodiments, itwill be appreciated that some features and/or functions of the describedembodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from thespirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments.Accordingly, what has been described above has been intended to beillustrative of the subject matter described herein and non-limiting andit will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variantsand modifications may be made without departing from the scope of thesubject matter as defined in the claims appended hereto.

For example, the steps of a method in accordance with any of theembodiments described herein may be performed in any order that providesa useful result, whether or not such steps are described in the claims,figures or otherwise in any sequential numbered or lettered manner.Also, in the various user interfaces illustrated in the figures, it willbe understood that the illustrated user interface text and controls areprovided as examples only and are not meant to be limiting. Othersuitable user interface elements may be possible.

In addition, as used herein, the wording “and/or” is intended torepresent an inclusive-or. That is, “X and/or Y” is intended to mean Xor Y or both X and Y. Moreover, “X, Y, and/or Z” is intended to mean Xor Y or Z or any combination thereof.

1. A method of obtaining metadata for content stored in a firstrepository, the method to be performed at a second repository, themethod comprising: identifying a content object stored in the firstrepository, the content object comprising learning content usable in anelectronic educational system to provide electronic learning;identifying metadata for the content object stored in the firstrepository, the metadata associated with the learning content of thecontent object; retrieving the metadata associated with the learningcontent from the first repository; and storing a harvested contentobject corresponding to the content object, wherein the harvestedcontent object comprises the metadata associated with the learningcontent of the content object stored in the first repository.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: generating information from themetadata associated with the learning content of the content object; andif the harvested content object is located in a search for contentobjects performed at the second repository, providing the generatedinformation along with the harvested content object in the searchresults so that when the search results are displayed, the generatedinformation for the harvested content object is displayed in asubstantially similar manner as when corresponding information isdisplayed for local content objects stored at the second repository. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the metadata isperformed using a modified version of the Open Archives InitiativeProtocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) protocol, the modifiedversion comprising an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema thatextends metadata items provided in the OAI-PMH protocol to include themetadata associated with the learning content.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the learning content comprises a Learning Management System(LMS) type of the content object.
 5. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising: recognizing the LMS type of the harvested content object asbeing the LMS type of the content object; determining an action that canbe performed for the harvested content object based on the LMS type; andperforming the action for the harvested content object.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the LMS type comprises an assessment, and wherein theaction comprises integrating the harvested content object into a LMSgradebook.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the action is the same asthat which would be performed for a local content object that is also ofthe LMS type, stored at the second repository.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the learning content comprises usage information for the contentobject.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the learning content comprisesrelationship information for the content object with respect to one ormore other content objects.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein therelationship information for the content object comprises structureinformation that indicates that the content object contains, or thecontent object is contained within, the one or more other contentobjects.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the relationship informationfor the content object comprises sequence information that indicatesthat the content object is recommended to be used before or after theone or more other content objects.
 12. The method of claim 9, whereinthe relationship information for the content object comprisesinformation indicating that the content object and the one or more othercontent objects are members of a same collection of content objects. 13.The method of claim 1, wherein the learning content comprises at leastone of: information indicating an instructor using the content object;information about a student who is able to access the content object;information indicating a course using the content object; andinformation indicating an institution using the content object.
 14. Acomputer-readable medium storing instructions for obtaining metadata forcontent stored in a first repository, wherein when the instructions areexecuted by a processor of a server hosting a second repository, theprocessor is configured to: identify a content object stored in thefirst repository, the content object comprising learning content usablein an electronic educational system to provide electronic learning;identify metadata for the content object stored in the first repository,the metadata associated with the learning content of the content object;retrieve the metadata associated with the learning content from thefirst repository; and store a harvested content object corresponding tothe content object, wherein the harvested content object comprises themetadata associated with the learning content of the content objectstored in the first repository.
 15. A server comprising: a memory thatis configured to store instructions for hosting a second repository thatobtains metadata for content stored in a first repository; and aprocessor that is coupled to the memory, the processor being configuredto execute the instructions, identify a content object stored in thefirst repository, the content object comprising learning content usablein an electronic educational system to provide electronic learning;identify metadata for the content object stored in the first repository,the metadata being associated with the learning content of the contentobject; retrieve the metadata associated with the learning content fromthe first repository; and store a harvested content object correspondingto the content object, wherein the harvested content object comprisesthe metadata associated with the learning content of the content objectstored in the first repository.
 16. The server of claim 15, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: generate information from themetadata associated with the learning content of the content object; andif the harvested content object is located in a search for contentobjects performed at the second repository, to provide the generatedinformation along with the harvested content object in the searchresults so that when the search results are displayed, the generatedinformation for the harvested content object is displayed in asubstantially similar manner as when corresponding information isdisplayed for local content objects stored at the second repository. 17.The server of claim 15, wherein the retrieving of the metadata isperformed using a modified version of the Open Archives InitiativeProtocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) protocol, the modifiedversion comprising an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema thatextends metadata items provided in the OAI-PMH protocol to include themetadata associated with the learning content.
 18. The server of claim15, wherein the learning content comprises a Learning Management System(LMS) type of the content object.
 19. The server of claim 18, whereinthe processor is further configured to: recognize the LMS type of theharvested content object as being the LMS type of the content object;determine an action that can be performed for the harvested contentobject based on the LMS type; and perform the action for the harvestedcontent object.
 20. The server of claim 19, wherein the LMS typecomprises an assessment, and wherein the action comprises integratingthe harvested content object into a LMS gradebook.
 21. The server ofclaim 19, wherein the action is the same as that which would beperformed for a local content object that is also of the LMS type,stored at the second repository.
 22. The server of claim 15, wherein thelearning content comprises usage information for the content object. 23.The server of claim 15, wherein the learning content comprisesrelationship information for the content object with respect to one ormore other content objects.
 24. The server of claim 23, wherein therelationship information for the content object comprises structureinformation that indicates that the content object contains, or thecontent object is contained within, the one or more other contentobjects.
 25. The server of claim 23, wherein the relationshipinformation for the content object comprises sequence information thatindicates that the content object is recommended to be used before orafter the one or more other content objects.
 26. The server of claim 23,wherein the relationship information for the content object comprisesinformation indicating that the content object and the one or more othercontent objects are members of a same collection of content objects. 27.The server of claim 15, wherein the learning content comprises at leastone of: information indicating an instructor using the content object;information about a student who is able to access the content object;information indicating a course using the content object; andinformation indicating an institution using the content object.
 28. Amethod of providing metadata for content stored at a first repository,the method comprising: providing a content object at the firstrepository, the content object comprising learning content usable in anelectronic educational system to provide electronic learning; providingmetadata at the first repository, the metadata associated with thelearning content of the content object; and transmitting the metadataassociated with the learning content to a second repository, wherein thesecond repository stores a harvested content object corresponding to thecontent object, and wherein the harvested content object comprises themetadata associated with the learning content of the content object. 29.The method of claim 28, wherein the second repository generatesinformation from the metadata associated with the learning content ofthe content object, and if the harvested content object is located in asearch for content objects performed at the second repository, thesecond repository provides the generated information along with theharvested content object in the search results so that when the searchresults are displayed, the generated information for the harvestedcontent object is displayed in a substantially similar manner as whencorresponding information is displayed for local content objects storedat the second repository.